I am trying to write a simple code that can process words in a sentence to form meaning. I have been trying to develop a good algorithm for a long while now, and however I try to do it the algorithm is scaringly tending to be too complex and long. Please if you have some suggestions, I'd appreciate. Thanks

This is an incredibly complex problem with many many people researching it. I'm not going to say there doesn't exist a simple method, but I will say that if it does exist no one has found it yet.
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Null SetFeb 21 '11 at 2:38

@NullSet: Indeed you are right, I'm still experimenting with a lot of ideas, just posted my current solution though, so far this seems to work for most cases since the underlying theory interprets a lot. My current major problem now is generating sentences in reply.
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Chibueze OpataSep 13 '12 at 9:52

Yeah, I understand it's tough. I have also looked at the problems it's facing. I am currently reading Speech Language Processing, and I feel strongly this can be done without so much fuss like many are taking over it.
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Chibueze OpataFeb 21 '11 at 3:05

@opatachibueze: I realize you may feel strongly that it can be done, but I think everyone would be much more interested in hearing why you THINK it can be done. Then we would all have something to discuss.
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Null SetFeb 21 '11 at 3:23

Yep, nice question. I think it can be done because my method of developing algorithms is based on the practical steps I take to do it without automation. Likewise, I believe I can develop a 'software memory', from which I can correlate data to find purpose and meaning simultaneously. The major task in my belief is finding out how best to correlate data without getting mad. Purpose can be found by understanding context using a tags/synonyms trend, and meaning can be created by defining purpose..
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Chibueze OpataFeb 21 '11 at 4:16

@opatachibueze, I believe that technique will founder if it underestimates the innate steps taken by our brain, which is highly developed for certain tasks without conscious thought. e.g. I do not have any idea how I can focus one speaker out of a crowd; but I can still do it.
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OddthinkingFeb 21 '11 at 6:03

You can focus on one speaker out of a crowd based on sound, motion, appearance. These parameters are also connected to a "Similarity" parameter. The focusing itself is done by your brain. You hear all the sound around you, but you filter out the one coming from the user, which is identifed in the first instance by your synchronizing the sound direction, movement of lips and demonstration (if applicable) by the user. Our brain uses raw power intelligence hard to understand in nature, but we can reproduce it on a PC and I'm just trying to reproduce the part that deals with this:)
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Chibueze OpataMar 29 '12 at 7:42

Well, turned out the algorithm has to be complex and long since the brain is actually complex and deep. I have made advances with my code but it's nothing easy. My approach was to use an information database which is analyzed by inspecting every words in each sentence and their meanings + associations but no matter how hard I try, I figured out understanding can only be simulated. For instance:

The best example of how hard English is that I know of is the following sentence: "Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana". Notice how the grammatical categories of the words "flies" and "like" change depending on the meanings of words around it. IOW it's not always possible to infer the grammar of a sentence without already "knowing what it means".
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j_random_hackerSep 13 '12 at 10:11

Ha ha, English is indeed complex and a great problem to artificial intelligence. There is even ROILA - a language specifically made for robots. My resolve is that as far as idioms are concerned, the explanations are relative and should be recorded by the understanding processor based on different people.
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Chibueze OpataSep 13 '12 at 10:11